Retouching frame



Nov. 30,` 1948. P. sHMADLr-:wsKY 21,455,096 v RETOUCHING FRAME Filed Nov. 23, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/v vente Paa/ JCMad/eyvsky Attorneys Nov. 30, 1948.

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RRRRRRRRRRRR AME Patented Nov. 30, 159748 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RE'TOUCHING FRAME Paul Schmadlewsky, liortland,` Oreg. Application November 23, 1945, Seria1-No.-630;4'84

2 Claims. l

The present invention relates to device employed in retouching photographic negatives, and particularly to devices of this kind embodying a supporting plate on which the work is adapted-to be mounted for being illuminated from the rear.

Retouching frames of the above type are usually illuminated by the direct light from an incandescent lamp located behind a translucent supporting plate or screen, so that poor vision and glare result, and the supporting plate or screen becomes uncomfortably hot.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned objections to prior retouching frames. In order to overcome poor vision, I provide an opaque negative supporting plate having a clear opening through which the light rays may pass to the photographic negative without being subdued or retracted. In order to avoid glare, the incandescent lamp is mounted in the chamber of a reflector outside the perimeter of the opening in the opaque supporting plate and disposed in front of the incandescent lamp to prevent passage of rays directly from the lamp through the opening in the supporting plate. In order to prevent undue heating of the frame and the negative, eflicient means is provided to facilitate circulation of cooling air through the frame in contact with the rear or inner surface of the supporting plate, while preventing objectionable escape of light fromY the frame.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a retouchng frame in the form of a stand having means to support the same upon the top of a table or the like so that the negative supporting plate is inclined forwardly in the most desirable position; and to provide a spring pressed hinged clamping plate for clamping the photographic negative on the negative supportingplate and for affording a surface on which the hand of the userV may rest out of Contact with the photographic negative while retouching the latter.

The exact nature of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a retouching frame constructed in accordance with the present invention and operatively disposed upon the top of the table.

Figure 2 is a view of the frame shown in Figure 1, partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, with the negative supporting or cover plate swung to open position.

Fig-ure 3 is :a rear elevationalview of the frame shown: iniFigure l.

Figure: 4 isk a front elevational view thereof, partly broken away.

In thefillustrated embodiment of the invention, i indicates a hollow open front reiector hood, the tcp;. baci;i and bottom of which is formed by a conca vJe'dwall' l a, and which has end walls l b.y

Thefreflector hood l isclosed at the front by means of: ailat' cover plate d-which is-of greater area than the-frantoi the reflector hood, a transverse supportingbar 6 is; secured across the lower portionV of the concave wall la of the reflector nood nearrthe. rear of the latter, and a somewhat'` similar bar 6 is secured across the plate d near its lower end.' The bar 6 is hinged to the bottom of .the concavewall la adjacent the front ofthe reflector hoodv to mount the cover plate 4 for swinging forwardly to open position as illustrat'e'din Figure 2.y The bars 6 and 6' may be iormedandiarrangedfas'to rest upon the top a ofA a table or the like-so asto support the'reilector hood inza rearwardly tiltedposition with thecover plateY lliinclined forwardly when in closed position assliown inFigure l. When thus supported, the frame isfdlsposedsothat the cover plate 4 projects downwardly past an edgeof thetable ltop a, thus engaging. the edge of the tabletop and preventing rearwardidisplacement ofi the frame when in use. Itwill be notedithat the plate li projects beyond the top, bottom and'sides of the reflector hood.

Carried bythe concavedwall la of the reflector hood isalamp socket 2which'receives an incandescent electric lamp 'l' located within the reflector hood. The' end walls Ib. of. the reflector hood arecut away as at wat theirforward edges so as'to permit-passageof` air into. and' out of the reilectorhood behind the plate 4. Air is thus permitted to circulate-through the frame across the inner face ofthe plated so'that the latter is not-unduly heated' by the lamp 1.

The-plate isprovidedwith rearwardly projecting' shields' 3 in the form of dat elongatedplates which are spaced' from `thesdes lb of the reector hoodl andioverlie the cut-outs or notches IU so as to not interfere-with circulation of air through the-frame and atvthe` sainetime-intercept any rays of light passingj out of the reflector hood through the notches or cut-outs IU.

The cover plate 4 forms a supporting plate for the photographic negative to be retouched, and it has a substantially central restricted opening l l which is clear and through which the rays of light pass to the negative when the latter is placed on the outer surface of plate il over opening I I. The opening II is relatively restricted so that only a desired portion of the negative is illuminated at a time. There is no translucent screen for the opening Il to subdue the rays of light passing therethrough to the negative. Attached at its upper end to the rear or inner-surface of the plate 4 is a glare shield 8 which curves rearwardly and downwardly in front of and below the lamp l and is of sufficient site to intercept any direct rays of light from the lamp I which might pass from the latter directly to and through the opening I I. Thus, the only rays of light permitted to pass to and through the opening il are indirect rays from the lamp 'l which strike the inner surfaces of the reflector hood and are then reflected to the opening il. In this way, objectionable glare iS prevented although sufficient illumination of the negative is had to insure clear vision such as is required for efficient retouching. It will be noted that the lamp 'l and shield 8 are located above or outside the perimeter of the opening I l to permit a maximum number of reflected rays to pass to such opening.

The photographic negative is held in a flat condition over the opening il by means of a hinged spring pressed clamping plate fu having a notch II centrally7 of its free upper edge which conforms to and coincides with the major lower portion of the opening Il when the plate is in clamping position. The clamping plate 5 is hinged by means of spring hinges I3, at its lower edge, to a raised portion t provided across the lower end of the plate il. As the clamping plate 5 embraces a considerable portion of the opening I I, it provides a surface on which the user of the frame may conveniently rest his hand, out of contact with the negative, when retouching the latter.

In using the present frame, the parts are disposed as shown in Figure 1 and the clamping plate 5 is swung forwardly away from the cover plate II so that the photographic negative may be placed upon the plate over the opening I I. The clamping plate 5 is then released so that it will be swung by its spring hinges toward the plate fl and against the photographic negative, thereby securely clamping the latter in a fiat condition and in position over the opening ll. With the lamp "I lighted, the reflected rays of light will pass through the opening I l and notch I I' and thereby effectively illuminate the portion of the negative exposed through said opening ii and notch II. As the opening l l is clear in that no translucent screen is used therein, and as no direct rays of light may pass through the opening I I from the lamp 'I, clear vision devoid of glare is insured. A lamp of low candle power may be employed which emits comparatively little heat, and this, combined with the free circulation of air through the frame insures against undue heating of the plate 4 or the negative disposed thereon. Thus, the retouching operation may be performed in complete comfort. Due to the fact that the user exerts downward pressure on the frame when retouching the negatives, the projecting lower portion of the plate 4 contacting the edge of the table top a will effectively prevent accidental rearward displacement of the frame so that the latter will remain in proper position while in use and resting on the table top.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, manner of use, and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. The device is extremely simple and compact `1n construction, and is so constituted as to effectively carry out the stated objects of the invention. Minor changes and modications may be made in the invention as illustrated and described, such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

i. A retouching frame comprising an openfront reflector hood, an opaque cover plate hinged to the bottom of said hood for swinging forwardly to open position, supporting means to support said hood on a horizontal surface in a rearwardly tilted position with the cover plate inclined forwardly, said cover plate having a small opening disposed centrally of the front of said hood, a source of light arranged within the top of said hood outside the perimeter of said opening, a glare shield attached to the inner side of said cover plate and extending downwardly and rearwardly in front of said source of light, and means to secure a photographic negative in a dat condition on the front of said cover plate over said opening, said supporting means comprising a transverse bar secured across the bottom of said hood near the rear of the latter and a second transverse bar hinged to the bottom and near the front of said hood and having the cover plate fixed thereto, said cover plate projecting below said bars and the bottom of said hood.

2. A retouching frame comprising a hollow open-front reflector hood including flat side walls and a concaved wall forming the top, back and bottom of the hood, transverse front and rear supporting bars secured on the bottom of the reflector hood for supporting the latter on a horizontal supporting surface in a rearwardly tilted position, a flat forwardly inclined opaque cover plate for the front of the reflector hood Xed to and projecting below the front supporte ing bar, said front supporting bar being hinged to the bottom of the reector hood near the front of the latter to permit forward swingingr of the cover plate to open position, said cover plate being provided with a small substantially central clear opening over which a restricted portion of the negative may be exposed for being illuminated while being retouched, and a source of light within the reflector hood.

PAUL SCHMADLEWSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,611,433 Gorretta Dec. 1926 1,668,589 Hall May 8, 1928 2,125,613 Hjort Aug. 2, 1938 2,300,264 Morin Oct. 27, 1942 

